From October 10 to November 10, the exhibition THE NEXT DAY is on display at the Cidade das Artes, and offers the public an immersive experience into the effects of climate change and the consequences and opportunities that they offer to cities. Visitors of all ages are lead through a set of recreational, sensorial, and interactive spaces that tell the story of the urban centers, the characteristics of the climate emergency, and the need to construct a new future, with more inclusive and sustainable cities. The show is completely free and is produced by the Rio de Janeiro company, Na Boca do Lobo.
The exhibition occupies over 700 square meters of the Cidade das Artes, divided onto two floors. THE NEXT DAY is the result of two years of research and the mapping of possible scenarios, and leads the public to glimpse all the future possibilities for cities.
The focus on the urban centers is justified by the numbers: despite occupying only 2% of the land surface, they account for 80% of the global GDP; are responsible for approximately 70% of global greenhouse gases; consume over 60% of generated energy; and produce 2/3 of the planet’s waste. Projections by the United Nations show that, by 2050, 7 billion people will live in cities, which will require 35% more food, 40% more water, and 50% more energy. The future of the planet depends on the solutions that cities find to resolve these problems.
Possible Cities
THE NEXT DAY is an immersive experience into the impacts of climate change on cities and people’s lives, as well as a reflection on the opportunities for a low carbon future and a more just and balanced life, with sustainable and inclusive cities for everybody.
The exhibition connects seemingly different themes, but they are always related to the climate crisis. The word “crisis”, by the way, has been overtaken: the expression most used by scientists around the world is now climate emergency. In October 2018, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) issued a warning: the time frame to limit global warming by 1.5°C, under the terms of the Paris Agreement, is only 12 years.
And what is the role of the cities in this story? “The cities are a cause, suffer the consequences, and can be the solution to the realistic and urgent confrontation with climate change. Science has shown us that extreme events can become more frequent. Because the subject is complex, we have developed a sensorial and immersive exhibition in order to demonstrate that the climate is directly related to everything that is important to us: health, education, gender equality, the reduction of social inequality, civil construction, and infrastructure. The key word should be transformation, to just, inclusive, and sustainable cities,” says Felipe Lobo, the co-creator of the exhibition.
The exhibition has a mobilizing effect. “We believe in the impact that Uber has on people’s lives and also on the life of cities. In Brazil alone, there are over 600,000 partner drivers that use Uber as an option to earn income, and there are 22 million users that choose Uber for journeys. For us, supporting projects such as THE NEXT DAY signifies using the strength of our platform to provide an important contribution to cities through technology,” declared Silvia Penna, the operations manager of Uber.
“Our vision of the future for cities is that the business of Uber will be much more than connecting people only with cars. We want the app to become a platform where the user can choose the best method for getting around, including public transport, bikes, or scooters,” added Silvia.
